Saints-Hornets raffles to benefit hurricane relief

The New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Hornets announced today that the teams will host two raffles to benefit a relief fund in the wake of Hurricane Isaac and the ensuing damage caused to the Gulf South. The announcement was made last week by Tom Benson, Saints and Hornets owner and chairman of the board.

Hurricane Isaac, a slow-moving tropical system, made landfall Aug. 30, and severely impacted the Gulf Coast region, including New Orleans, for nearly 48 hours. Communities around New Orleans, including LaPlace, Braithwaite and Madisonville, were particularly devastated by Isaac.

“The Gulf South region has demonstrated its strength and camaraderie during tough times,” said Rita Benson LeBlanc, Saints and Hornets owner and vice chairman of the board. “Following Hurricane Isaac, there is a need to help ease the struggles of those in the region and we are committed to helping those affected recover and maintain the ability to provide for themselves and their families.”

Tom Benson said, “As we have shown before in trying times, we will band together and help our neighbors when they need support. Nearly everyone that lives in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast were negatively impacted in some way, shape or form by Hurricane Isaac. While we are excited for the start of the 2012 season, it is with a heavy heart that we witness what our neighbors are dealing with, whether it is significant damage to their homes, disruption of employment or having to leave their homes because the storm was so destructive.”

The Saints package will include a suite for 20 people for the Sept. 23 match-up against the Kansas City Chiefs, with catering provided by Centerplate. The winner will also receive 20 pregame sideline passes for the game.

The Hornets package will feature two floor seats and a pregame player meet-and-greet for the Nov. 7 game against Philadelphia, as well as VIP parking and two courtside club passes that include food and beverage. In addition to taking in a Hornets game, the winner will also receive two tickets to the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston. The All-Star Weekend ticket package will feature the 62nd NBA All-Star Game, as well All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm. Saturday night’s festivities will include a skills showcase comprised of Haier Shooting Stars, a competition featuring NBA and WNBA players, and NBA legends; the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest and the Sprite Slam Dunk contest. The winner will also receive a two-night stay in Houston courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel.

Tickets are $2 with a minimum purchase of five. Raffle tickets for the Saints package can be purchased at www.celebritiesforcharity.org/raffle/saints-hurricane-isaac-relief-raffle and tickets for the Hornets package can be purchased at http://www.celebritiesforcharity.org/raffle/hornets-hurricane-isaac-relief-raffle.

The deadline to buy raffle tickets for the Saints package will be Sept. 19, while the final date to purchase tickets for the Hornets package will be Oct. 25.

In addition to the raffle, the Saints and Second Harvest Food Bank will host a food drive at this weekend’s home opener against the Washington Redskins. Fans can donate items at the upper level exterior concourses at the entrances of Gates A, C, E, and G, as well as Gate A Ground’s East Island. Donations will also be taken at each entrance of Champions Square. Fans can also make monetary donations at all food donation locations.